Iranian Woman, Child Injured in Husband’s Acid Attack

A 25-year-old woman was severely injured in an acid attack by her husband, with her 8-year-old child also suffering burns while trying to help her, IranWire reports.

Mehri Abdolghaderi, a resident of a village in western Javanroud, sustained severe injuries to her face and hands in the attack last week.

Her 8-year-old son suffered serious burns on both hands while attempting to rescue his mother.

Sources said the husband carried out the attack in front of the child. Abdolghaderi is currently hospitalized in Javanroud and undergoing multiple surgeries.

She has completely lost sight in one eye, and her physical and psychological condition remains critical.

The incident was attributed to “family disputes” - a phrase often used in Iran to refer to so-called “honor-related” crimes in Iran.

According to IranWire sources, the husband was enraged by his wife’s request for separation and had previously threatened to throw acid on her if she pursued divorce. He took her to the hospital after the attack but later fled.

Acid attacks against women remain a recurring issue in Iran, often tied to domestic violence or rejection of marriage proposals.

Iranian authorities do not publish reliable statistics on femicide, though such incidents are occasionally covered in local media.

According to Etemad newspaper, 78 women were murdered by family members between March and September of last year.

In 2023, Shargh newspaper reported that at least 165 women were killed by male relatives between 2021 and 2023, with 27 murders occurring in the first three months of 2023 alone - many linked to “honor killings.”

These numbers are only reported cases - the true figures are believed to be significantly higher.

Last month, IranWire also reported the release of the father of Donya Hosseini, who was fatally stabbed in February after requesting a divorce. He served only three months in prison.

Donya, who had three sisters - Shaghayegh, Rezvan, and Zahra - was murdered despite previous threats.

Under Article 301 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, fathers are exempt from retributive justice (qisas) for killing their children. They are instead required to pay blood money and face discretionary punishment.

While a 2021 amendment allows courts to revoke parental rights and prohibits early release before serving a quarter of the sentence, enforcement remains inconsistent.